It was April 6, 2023. It was my first soccer trip out of the country. We arrived at JFK airport in the morning and I had to say goodbye to my parents because they will not be attending for the first 5 days of the trip. When I found my team and coaches we were all so excited and pumped for this trip. We were all on the same flight, there were 3 different age groups with us. The different age groups were the 2009s, 2010s, and the oldest 2008s which is us. As we were boarding I got the chance to sit next to my two friends Zach and Caden. The flight was about five hours long but it felt like ten years because of the time zone change. When we landed in Manchester, everything in England was about soccer. We got on the team bus and drove to the hotel. Seeing everyone on the road having a passion for soccer was really incredible and exciting because there are other people in the world who love the same thing I do. When we arrived at the hotel me and my friend Zach stayed together, we were so tired and just wanted to sleep all day. The whole day on day 1 we went to the hotel and during the afternoon we got to explore the soccer stadium Old Trafford in Manchester. The tour we got of the stadium was really amazing and beautiful. After the tour we went to see a 2nd division pro soccer game. The game was really awesome seeing everyone supporting their team and starting their own chants. When day 2 arrived we had our first training session. We trained with a professional team called Rover FC. This was a really great experience as we got to go into their locker room and train on their fields. I learned many things there that I will be using in my own game. The nightlife in Manchester was so sick as I saw everyone in restaurants and bars just having a great time and all of them seemed to have so much fun. When day 3 came we had our first game against a local academy, TNS. This team is the number one ranked team in Wales and we were very nervous but excited. We won the game 3-0 and it was very fascinating seeing how different teams from different countries play. After the game we went to Liverpool to watch the Liverpool Vs Arsenal game at a local bar. I know this was not at the real stadium but the atmosphere at the bar was insane! Everyone was screaming and getting so hype at the game. After we left the bar we went back to the hotel to rest and get ready for day 4. Day 4 we had the whole day to ourselves and me and a couple of my teammates walked around Manchester and explored the city. When day 5 came it was my favorite day. We went to visit the Liverpool stadium and it was amazing. The grass was so perfect and the field was such an amazing site. Toward the evening we got to see a Champions League match at Manchester City. This match is between Manchester City And Fc Bayern from Germany. This was by far the best soccer match I have ever experienced. The crowd was amazing and the game was so amazing. The best moment was just seeing everyone around me enjoy the sport I love doing. Day 6 we had our second game and it was against a team called Micklelover. This game was so intense, the other teams looked like they were 20 years olds and we were so scared. As the game started we realized the other team is not as good as we thought and we eventually ended up winning 3-2. This was so electric because after we celebrated in the locker room and felt so good beating them. After the game we had another training session with a professional team called Wolves. This was so enjoyable seeing all the fields and what the pros do. When day 7 comes we had our second game and this one will be challenging. It was against another academy called Wigan. Before the game we got to see all the facilities they have and where the kids go to school. It was really delightful seeing how some of these kids' whole life is just playing soccer and going to school at a soccer academy. When the game came we could tell this team was just more focused. The game ended with them beating us 5-0. This was such a big defeat and we just knew they were better than us. It taught us a good lesson about how some kids are just more determined and more focused than us. Day 8 was definitely one of the best days. Day 8 I got to go to London with my great friend Brody. London was the most amazing and sick city I have ever seen. We got to see the clock tower and many other things. Everyone in London was so nice and the food there was amazing. I got to visit very hippy sneaker stores, vintage shops, and different clothing stores. My favorite thing was this village market that had the best food and clothes. I stayed in London basically the whole day and got home very late. Our last day in England we played against a team called Sheffield United. This team was very good and technically better than us. We had to use our size and speed against them in order to win this game. We ended up winning the game 4-2. After the game ended we went out in Manchester at night and just walked around the city. We would see a ton of kids playing pickup soccer in the streets. When the morning came we got ready for the airport and ready to go back to America. When we landed back in America it felt so weird to be back and everything was so much more different. There is one thing that England has taught me is that not take things for granted and just to enjoy the moments. This was a once in a lifetime experience and I would do anything to go back to England with that team again.